Method of forming a closure cap having a heat shrinkable tubular element thereover

ABSTRACT

A milk bottle cap, apparatus and method, especially adapted as tamperproof closures for plastic milk bottles and the like. The bottle cap comprises a laminated disc structure containing a top layer of a rigid material, preferably an impervious plastic material, an intermediate layer which can be aluminum foil or the like, and a plastic foam disc for contact with the bottle opening. The disc, when placed on the bottle opening, is then sealed in place over the bottle opening and maintained in place by a heat shrink tube which is heat shrunk around and partially over the closure disc, and sealed thereto, and having a depending skirt in intimate sealing contact with the threds on the neck of the bottle. A tear strip is provided to initially break the seal to permit removal. The heat shrink material has sufficient strength and rigidity whereby the cap can be re-engaged, after removal, on the bottle threads for reclosure of the bottle.

[ 51 Oct. 29, 11974 METHOD OF FORMING A CLOSURE CAP HAVING A HEAT SHRINKABLE TUBULAR A ELEMENT THEREOVER [75] lnventor: Edwin M. Irish, ,lr., St. Davids, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Gilbreth International Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa.

[22] Filed: Dec. 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 316,547

Related US. Application Data [62] Division oiScr. No. 200,397, Nov. 19, 1971, Pat. No.

[58] Field of Search 215/38 A, 42; 156/69, 84, 156/85, 86, 250

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,183,691 12/1939 Owens 215/38 A 3,245,857 4/1966 Rutledge 150/281 3,664,536 5/1972 Emery 215/42 X Primary ExaminerEdward G. Whitby Attorney, Agent, or Firm-E. Barron Batchelder 5 7 ABSTRACT A milk bottle cap, apparatus and method, especially adapted as tamperproof closures for plastic milk bottles and the like. The bottle cap comprises a laminated disc structure containing a top layer of a rigid material, preferably an impervious plastic material, an intermediate layer which can be aluminum foil or the like, and a plastic foam disc for contact with the bottle opening. The disc, when placed on the bottle opening, is then sealed in place over the bottle opening and maintained in place by a heat shrink tube which is heat shrunk around and partially over the closure disc, and sealed thereto, and having a depending skirt in intimate sealing contact with the threds on the neck of the bottle. A tear strip is provided to initially break the seal to permit removal. The heat shrink material has sufficient strength and rigidity whereby the cap can be re-engaged, after removal, on the bottle threads for reclosure of the bottle.

7 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures Pmmmma m4 3Q844L881 SHEET 38F 3 5 SHEET VINYL SURRLY ROLL SUPPLY ROLL SURFACE HEATED ROLL SHEET FOAM SUPPLY ROLL STA 3-4 5 UBE Sl-IRUNK AROUND 8RARTLY OVER STA2 TUBE PLACED ovEP DE 3. DISC F I STAl- DISC PLACED STA. 5-QUTTAB ON DISC TOOL & TEAR STRI 5 STAB- EJECT 5TA,7COOL STAL6 HEAT SEAL FIMSHED RROD METHOD OF FORMING A CLOSURE CAP HAVING A HEAT SHRINKABLE TUBULAR ELEMENT THEREOVER This is a division, of application Ser. No. 200,397, filed Nov. I9, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,720,343.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, no good closure or cap has been available for plastic milk bottles. One of the principal difficulties encountered is the non-rigidity of the plastic bottles and in use a hydraulic ram principle tends to knock the cap off, such as with a disc inserted in the bottle opening. Caps, when applied to milk bottles, must also meet rigid Food and Drug Administration requirements. The cap must have zero gas and vapor penetration properties, and especially when utilized in a pharmaceutical application must have the property of preventing any such penetration. Materials in contact with the contents of the bottle must additionally meet rigid requirements to prevent contamination and the overall cap structure should be tamper-proof. Such caps must also be susceptible of feasible manufacturing and placement processes, and compatible with apparatus for so doing.

The present invention now provides for the first time a completely satisfactory bottle cap primarily adapted for use with plastic milk containers or the like, and which overcomes the undesirable characteristics of previous known structures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A laminated heat-shrink attachable bottle or container cap especially suited for threaded plastic milk bottles and the like, and a method for its manufacture and placement, wherein the layers in a preferred ad hered composite form consist of an outer layer of rigid impervious plastic material, an intermediate layer which can be of aluminum foil, and a plastic foam disc for bottle opening. sealing and content contact. The cap in use, especially as applied to plastic milk bottles. is leak-proof. using a low pressure compressible and deformable seal material for the plastic foam disc. The plastic foam disc material must be acceptable by the Food and Drug Administration for use in milk bottles. The laminated disc is attached to and sealed on the container by means of a plastic heat shrinkable tube which insures a tight sealing engagement about the container opening, intimately engaging container neck threads, and the cap can be re-engaged to the threads. The construction is tamper-proof and is provided with a tear strip, serving the function of permitting removal and at the same time indicating removal of the cap from the container.

The material of the outer layer is liquid and gas impervious to prevent contamination of the container contents. The cap when applied to non-rigid containers will withstand a substantial drop of the container without exploding off. The composite structure and method of manufacture permits lamination of the materials of the plastic layers which are not susceptible of being adhesively secured one to another. The cap is capable of an in-line continuous manufacture and placement of and sealing on a bottle.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention as applied to a plastic container for milk or the like;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the closure means of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing a tear strip of the closure cap as partially removed prior to opening the container;

FIG. 4A is an exploded elevational view with the tear strip of FIG. 3 completely removed and the cap threadedly disconnected from the container and ready for secured reconnection;

FIG. 4B is a top elevational view of the container taken on line 4B 4B of FIG. 4A disclosing means to prevent turning and loosening of the cap during storage and handling, or when removing the tear strip;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view similar to FIG. I, with parts broken away, showing generally the structural components employed to obtain the characteristics of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the cap components as shown generally in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6A is a fragmentary schematic view of the laminated cap disc components, with the interconnection thereof and therebetween;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the preformed cap;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view depicting a preferred method of manufacture for laminating the disc portion of the closure cap;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the finalized product resulting from-the process of FIG. 8 and formed into disc-shape, all as a continuation of the process of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing an indexing table and related apparatus employed in application of the closure cap and sealing on the container.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, a plastic milk container 20 having a handle 22 and a threaded neck portion generally indicated at 24, has secured thereon the closure cap 26, generally designated, of the present invention. The container 20 is manufactured or consists of the usual non-rigid plastic material currently in use but, as will appear hereinafter, is preferably modified in the neck and thread structure in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The threaded neck portion 24, referring to FIG. 4A, includes the ususal threads 28 under which is a bead 30 of generally rounded configuration and providing, in connection with the underlying neck portion, a distinct undercut or indentation at 32 for purposes hereinafter to be described. The bead 30 is also preferably provided with a plurality of notches 34 evenly spaced about the periphery of the bead. It will be noted that the notches have faces 36, 38 formed at right angles one to another, and so designed as to permit manufacture of the bottle in a split blow mold which will provide for easy separation of the bottle from the mold. These notches are so configured not only to permit easy separation from the mold but also serve the purpose of preventing the cap from turning and loosening in storage and handling when the cap is applied, as will be described hereinafter, and additionally prevent the cap from turning and slipping when a tear strip is removed. As shown there are two notches on each side, four notches total in all.

The closure cap 26 consists of a laminated disc 37 and which is in contact with the container opening indicated at 39 in compression sealing engagement with the opening rim 40. The disc 37 is secured in closing position on and over the container opening by means of a tube of heat shrinkable plastic material 42 which in effect forms a skirt or depending flange interengaging disc 37 and threads 28 of the container. The components forming the disc are shown in FIGS. 6 and 6A. The laminated disc 37 is comprised of, in depending order, a rigid polyvinylchloride sheet 44, a coated aluminum foil sheet 46, and a sheet 48 of foam plastic. The only material which will contact the food or milk in the container is the foam sheet which meets with Food and Drug Administration approval. It also is compressible, deformable and resilient and in conjunction with the other features and components of the cap serves to aid in withstanding a four-foot drop for example. Two types of material which have been approved as meeting applicable FDA requirements are: (l) Minicel H-60- -l/l6th inch thick extruded from sheet and manufactured by Hercules, Inc., Wilmington, Del., and (2) Microfoam extruded sheeting, 3/32nds inch thick, manufactured by DuPont Company, Wilmington, Del. (presently undergoing tests for FDA approval). It is also contemplated that polyethylene foam extruded or skived from a loaf having closed cell structure can be used, as also for example l0-l 5 pound PVC foam, resilient paper formulations, or other. Other possibilities, other than FDA polyethylene or PVC foams, are use of FDA approved film covering other foams, or FDA coating over other resilient constructions.

The disc 44 is preferably formed from polyvinylchloride sheet which is rigid and preferably 0.005 inch thick. One example of this type of material is type No. US. -2000 Food-Grade Genotherm sheet, clear or opaque white, which meets all applicable FDA requirements and manufactured by American Hoechst Corporation, Somerville, NJ. This material lends strength and rigidity to the composite or laminated cap and also serves as a contaminant seal. The aluminum foil disc interposed between the discs 44 and 48 consists, preferably, of coated aluminum foil as supplied by Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa. The coating 50, FIG. 6A, is an FDA approved vinyl heat-sealed coat, 2.5 lb/ream (0.0002inch) Alcoa No. 200. The foil is Alcoa No. l 145-0 and is used in an applicable thickness range 0.0007 inch 0.00l5 inch. The surfaces of the metal foil are used in order to permit sealing of the vinyl to the foam material since the materials are incompatible. In other words, there must be a surface of something in between these other two discs to which they can each be adhered, since no practical and economical adhesive system has yet been devised to bond polyethylene direct to polyvinyl chloride. The aluminum foil layer in the cap also prevents all gas transmission in or out which could be otherwise deleterious to the product. It also facilitates the zero gas transmission for long shelf lift products. As will appear hereinafter this aluminum foil, presuming a vinyl heat seal, as discussed hereinafter is useful for induction heating, and thermal sealing of straight vinyl. The aluminum foil serves as a heat sink for sealing, an inert surface for lamination, and an impervious barrier for oxygen. As shown in FIG. 6A an adhesive 52 is applied for aluminum to polyethylene adhesion. This preferably is a water-base pressure-sensitive adhesive such as polybond PA-65l, manufactured by Polymer Industries, Inc. of Springdale, Conn., and which conforms to all applicable FDA requirements.

As alternative compositions with the aluminum foil, it is contemplated to eliminate the vinyl sheet and replace it with pulp board sheet between the foil and foam for stiffness and support of the foil. Additionally, thepolyolefin foam can be eliminated and replaced with compressible low-density paperboard formulation with enough resilience to make a leak-proof seal. Manufacture of the laminated disc construction will be better understood by reference to FIG. 8 of the drawings. The sheet foil which is precoated or preglued on a surface thereof as described above is taken from a supply roll through or around a glue or adhesive supply as indicated by the glue roll for applying the adhesive 52 to the opposite side and then passed through a drying oven. The vinyl sheet 44 is fed from a sheet vinyl supply roll, as also is the sheet foam material 48 from a supply roll, and the two plastic layers or laminations are then applied to opposite sides of the foil and adhered thereto when passing through heated rolls as shown. This results in a strip of the laminated material indicated at 54 in FIG. 9. Also as shown the discs 37 are fed directly from the laminating and printing machine as they are punched out of the strip, as indicated by arrow 56, to a capping machine schematically shown in FIG. 10. Alternately instead of the continuous process, it is contemplated that the discs 37 could be stacked and subsequently fed to the capping machine or apparatus.

In the above mentioned laminating process, in one embodiment the speed is approximately 15 feet per minute and the strip width is approximately 4 inches max. The precoated aluminum foil passes over the coating roll and metering roll in which 0.0005 inch max. of PAS PA-6Sl adhesive is deposited on the reverse side of the foil. The foil then passes through an electrically heated air circulating tunnel at 300F., 6 feet max, and 20-25 seconds exposure, which dries the adhesive and activates the coating adhesive on the foil. The hot foil is then joined by 0.0005 inch vinyl sheet on top and polyethylene foam sheet on the bottom just prior to passing through the laminating rolls which with the proper pressure will form the permanent composite laminated sheet. The upper roll may be heated to for example 250F. to facilitate the vinyl bond.

The discs so formed and fed to the capping machine of FIG. 10 are at station I placed on a disc tool and at station 2 a tube 42 of heat shrink material is placed over the die and disc. It is to be noted that the tube supply as indicated in FIG. 10 supplies the tubes with a perforation line at 58 as it is cut from a roll of the material. In stations 3-4-5 the tube is shrunk around and partly over the disc. This is accomplished by different heat methods as will be explained hereinafter. Preferably at station 5 a tab 60, strain relief hole 62, and perhaps printing of the tab are accomplished. In station 6 a heat seal function is performed. With aluminum, induction heating is contemplated, and/or thermal sealing-straight vinyl can be utilized. Station 7 is a cooling station and at station 8 the finished cap including the disc and the partially heat shrunk tube combination is ejected and appropriately stored for subsequent application to a bottle or container. The finalized cap product is shown more clearly in FIG. 7. An additional disc if desired can be placed over the disc 44 or alternatively the disc 44 can be printed with company advertising material or the like.

Subsequent to formation of the cap as described above, wherein the tube preferably is shrunk over the disc by application of 300F. heat for 4 seconds and heat sealed for an appropriate time element using a standard induction heating unit or alternatively, without use of aluminum, a simple thermal, dielectic or impulse heat seal could be used, and the cooling constituting a surface cool with 65 air, the cap is ready for application to the container.

It will here be noted that the threads 28 of the container do not extend to infinity but terminate in a stop ring 64 above bead 30 and which is part of the bottle finish. The shape of this ring in relation to the large diameter ring and the perforation in the tube determines the shape of the cap after a tear strip has been removed. The cap when applied over the container bottle neck is then again heat shrunk and the material adheres to and conforms closely with the contour of the container neck including threads. ring. bead and notches. The cap skirt shrinks around and partially under the bead 30. The material extends into the notches, for the reasons above pointed out, and the perforation line 58 LII is arranged just slightly above the upper surface of the bead 30.

The present cap is tamper-proof in that it does shrink under the pronounced undercut formed at the bead so that removal of the cap without tearing off the tamper strip at the tab, as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, would deform or destroy it to an extent that its replacement would be rendered impossible. Tearing of the tamper strip carries out several functions. It frees the cap for easy removal and replacement. Absence of the strip advertises the fact that the cap has been changed or removed and that the contents may have been contaminated. The notches facilitate prevention of turning. The shape of the stop ring 64 in relation to the bead and the perforation, determines the shape of the cap after the tear strip has been removed. The cap must have a certain flare at the bottom for easy removal and replacement. This is an important design characteristic of the invention. Also. as pointed out, the thickness of the tube material is such that sufficient rigidity and configuration is provided for easy replacement of the cap subsequent to removal from the bottle.

The features of the cap and its construction render it usable with an automatic capping machine. which is not shown herein since it does not constitute a portion of the present invention. It is significant that manufacturing processes and costs must be equated with useful end results and ease of application, as also functional results of the cap in normal usage.

Many outstanding features and characteristics results from the above described embodiment. It is leak-proof due to the compressible or deformable resilient seal and will withstand substantial drops of the container. Tamper-proof qualities are provided in that the tube is heat shrunk around the transfer ring or other undercuts and has custom designed flexibility. The cap is reclosable in that the tube material is heavy enough in wall thickness to retain screw threads or snap cap conformation. It is sanitary in that only FDA approved material is in contact with the food or contents such as milk. The construction is sterile, and the heat shrink process exposes a cap skirt material to 300F. for 34 seconds. The cap is easy to open in the functional design of perforations for tear strip or breakaway ring as provided. Hermetic properties and zero gas transmission for long shelf life products are inherent. A low inventory can be maintained. Printing and marking is accomplished only on each cap as it is manufactured. The caps can be handled in stacks in low bulk or volume condition, fed directly as formed, and therefore low storage space is required and easy handling is insured. Standard dairy capping equipment can be used. No change in the dairy process is required with seal cap hooders. The cap is susceptible of colorful, decorative appearance with a wide latitude in colors, printing and decoration available.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described obviously minor modifications in design and contruction can be effected in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in, and limited solely by, the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The method of forming a closure cap for threaded neck plastic containers and the like including a laminated disc adapted to engage over and in sealing relationship with a container opening and a heat-shrinkable plastic tube comprising:

a. passing pre-coated aluminum foil over a coating roll and applying an adhesive on the reverse side of the foil;

b. electrically heating the foil to dry the applied adhesive and activate the coating adhesive;

c. joining the heated foil with a top sheet and a bottom sheet and applying pressure to the juxtaposed sheets to form a permanent composite laminated sheet;

d. cutting discs from said laminated sheet; and

e. placing a tube of heat-shrinkable plastic material over a disc of the laminate and applying heat to partially heat-shrink the tube into engagement with the disc partially extending over the top thereover and with a depending skirt adapted for heat-sealed engagement with and over the threaded neck of a container by further heat-shrinking subsequent to placement of the cap on a container.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combined sheets are passed through and between upper and lower pressure rolls, one said roll being heated to facilitate bonded adhesion.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper sheet consists of polyvinyl chloride and the lower sheet consists of polyolefin foam material, the aluminum foil coating consisting of a vinyl heat-seal coat and the aluminum to polyolefm adhesive consists of a water-base pressure sensitive adhesive.

4. The method of manufacturing a closure cap as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

a. placing a laminated disc on a die;

b. cutting and placing a section of heat-shrink tubing on said die surrounding and extending above said disc;

c. shrinking the tube over the disc in partial overlapping engagement therewith and depending therefrom as a skirt;

d. heat-sealing the disc and tube;

e. cooling the sealed tube and disc; and

f. ejecting the finished cap from the die.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said discs are cut from a continuous sheet of laminated material 8 7. The method of claim 6 including cutting and forming a tear strip tab and relief hole in the tube for coacting with the tear strip subsequent to shrinking of the tube around and partly over the disc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,844,861 DATED October 29, 1974 mvmroms) Edwin M. Irish, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The Assignee has been corrected from Gilbreth International Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa. to Erin Industries, Inc., Villanova, Pa.

Signed and Scaled this A ttest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner of Parents and Trademarks 

1. The method of forming a closure cap for threaded neck plastic containers and the Like including a laminated disc adapted to engage over and in sealing relationship with a container opening and a heat-shrinkable plastic tube comprising: a. passing pre-coated aluminum foil over a coating roll and applying an adhesive on the reverse side of the foil; b. electrically heating the foil to dry the applied adhesive and activate the coating adhesive; c. joining the heated foil with a top sheet and a bottom sheet and applying pressure to the juxtaposed sheets to form a permanent composite laminated sheet; d. cutting discs from said laminated sheet; and e. placing a tube of heat-shrinkable plastic material over a disc of the laminate and applying heat to partially heat-shrink the tube into engagement with the disc partially extending over the top thereover and with a depending skirt adapted for heatsealed engagement with and over the threaded neck of a container by further heat-shrinking subsequent to placement of the cap on a container.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combined sheets are passed through and between upper and lower pressure rolls, one said roll being heated to facilitate bonded adhesion.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper sheet consists of polyvinyl chloride and the lower sheet consists of polyolefin foam material, the aluminum foil coating consisting of a vinyl heat-seal coat and the aluminum to polyolefin adhesive consists of a water-base pressure sensitive adhesive.
 4. The method of manufacturing a closure cap as claimed in claim 1 comprising: a. placing a laminated disc on a die; b. cutting and placing a section of heat-shrink tubing on said die surrounding and extending above said disc; c. shrinking the tube over the disc in partial overlapping engagement therewith and depending therefrom as a skirt; d. heat-sealing the disc and tube; e. cooling the sealed tube and disc; and f. ejecting the finished cap from the die.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said discs are cut from a continuous sheet of laminated material and placed on said die in a continuous production of the caps.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 4 including the step of peripherally perforating or otherwise scoring said tubing to form a tear strip thereon prior to placement on the die.
 7. The method of claim 6 including cutting and forming a tear strip tab and relief hole in the tube for coacting with the tear strip subsequent to shrinking of the tube around and partly over the disc. 